Artwork
Charitable Ladies
Charitable Ladies is a chalk drawing by the Romanticist artist Hubert Robert. It dates from 1782 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1782, *Charitable Ladies* is a drawing by French Romantic artist Robert Hubert. Executed on laid paper, the work combines pen, brown ink, and watercolor applied over an initial black chalk sketch. The composition presents a lively street scene framed by a tall building with a balcony, populated by children, musicians, and a dog, set against a distant hilly landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The picture captures a moment of informal play and music on a balcony: three children lean over the railing, tossing objects, while a boy below drops a bucket.
The picture captures a moment of informal play and music on a balcony: three children lean over the railing, tossing objects, while a boy below drops a bucket. A woman serenades on a lute and another watches with a fan, suggesting a casual, charitable gathering. The inclusion of everyday figures and a rustic backdrop reflects Romantic interest in genre scenes that blend the ordinary with a hint of nostalgia.
Technique & Style
Hubert began with a black chalk underdrawing, then refined forms with pen and brown ink, establishing outlines and tonal contrast. Light washes of watercolor glaze the scene, employing soft, muted hues that lend a gentle atmosphere. The use of laid paper adds a subtle texture, while the delicate line work and restrained palette exemplify the Romantic penchant for expressive yet controlled drawing.
History & Provenance
Robert Hubert, known primarily for his capricci of Italian and French ruins, produced this work during his early career, when he explored genre subjects alongside landscape studies. The drawing is dated circa 1782 and remains in a private collection, having passed through several European art dealers before being documented in the late 20th‑century catalogues of Hubert’s oeuvre.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hubert Robert (French pronunciation: ; 22 May 1733 – 15 April 1808) was a French painter in the school of Romanticism, noted especially for his landscape paintings and capricci, or semi-fictitious picturesque depictions of ruins in Italy…
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Foire de Village
La Noce au Chateau
A Roman Capriccio with the Pyramid of Gaius Cestius
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Two boys playing a variation of Blind Man's Buff